


how not to unring a bell

by smithens



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Closeted Character, Flash Fic, Gen, Male Homosexuality, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-03 10:23:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21177857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smithens/pseuds/smithens
Summary: But it's not as if we didn't all know about Barrow.They had to find out somehow.





	1. 1911, Sybil

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is marked complete because it will never be finished; there's no coherent plot or narrative between pieces/chapters. however, i will continue to add chapters!

The second footman sticks his foot out just as the junior footman is returning a crystal pitcher of water to the serving bar, and though he sets it down just in time, he still falls flat on his face. To his credit, he also gets back up immediately, and though he's clenching his hands into fists and red faced, he responds to her father's "is everything quite all right, Thomas?" with an obsequious "yes, your Lordship."

Sybil does not have the courage to rebuke the second footman, who is smirking something awful, but she'll tell Papa later, before bedtime.

Still, the fall drew the attention of the entire table, and she can't help but stare, too.

Thankfully, Mama starts up conversation again — 'in true American fashion', as her aunt would say, and everyone goes back to before the incident, turns once more to face their conversation partner.

Well. Mostly everyone.

"Why is the Duke looking at Thomas like that?" Sybil whispers several minutes later, with a gentle poke to Edith's elbow.

"Pardon? — oh, never you mind about the servants, Sybil, darling," says Edith. They're not meant to be talking just now, and even if they were, Sybil knows that the handsome Baron-to-be on her left is probably far more interesting to her than any commentary by her baby sister.

Nonetheless: "it's like he wants to  _ eat _ him."

Edith chokes on her canapé.


	2. 1911, Robert

"Ordinarily, Thomas, it should be Mr. Carson resolving these matters. This time, however, I did not see fit to include him in such a... delicate conversation." Perhaps not the best choice of words, under the circumstances. "This is between us, do you understand?"

"Yes, your Lordship."

"Do you know what I am about to tell you?"

"No, your Lordship." 

"Arthur saw fit to inform me directly that you, if I may paraphrase…"

He doesn't actually know how to paraphrase this.

"That you have been… looking at, ah… one of the hallboys… indecently."

Arthur had provided him with enough detail beyond  _ looking _ that it was clear within moments that much of the story was fabricated; nonetheless, accusations such as these are typically founded in truth.

Robert sees the look on his face — abject horror — and tries to soften his own expression, but Thomas appears to be petrified nonetheless. 

"Looking at someone is hardly a severe offense, and I've no intention of dismissing you for it."

This does more than his attempt at looking encouraging did; however, the work is undone in neat time with his next words: "but is it true, Thomas?"

"That I… looked at a hallboy? Sir?"

Of the three footman in the house, the one in front of him is the sharpest; still, he cannot tell if the underlying meaning is clear. If it is not is ultimately of no consequence, however, because he should be embarrassed to clarify.

"Indeed."

Thomas shakes his head. His face is unreadable again — an admirable quality in a servant at all times but these.

"And have you otherwise behaved honorably with members of the male staff?"

It strikes him after he says it that no boy with any sense of self-preservation would answer this question truthfully if he had not, but he is partial to Thomas, if only because he appears to be attentive to detail and hardworking. He decides to believe his answer for but one reason: the first footman handed in his notice this morning; to his knowledge, Thomas is unaware of this.

Arthur, however, quite evidently was.

"Yes, your Lordship."

"Can you think of a reason why Arthur might have made this accusation in particular if he sought to discredit you?"

Thomas says nothing. He does not nod his head yes or shake it no. He does, however, close his eyes for longer than a blink and exhale more sharply than he otherwise would.

It seems he was right to trust his instinct. 

Robert clasps his hands together and frowns. "Let's keep this to ourselves, Thomas. Know that you are not at risk of losing your position; that is, not for this reason."

Carson informs him only a day later that Arthur and a housemaid have each been dismissed, and that he and Mrs. Hughes have decided not to provide them with references. Though he does not describe the reason, Robert is hardly a fool, and he can read between the lines. 

He tells him to promote Thomas to first footman and put out an advertisement for two more.


	3. 1911, Anna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please note this chapter includes homophobia and non-graphic physical violence.

Thomas comes back downstairs as she's readying the table for the servants' breakfast with a smirk on his face — he _always_ has a smirk on his face, that's not unusual, really; the unusual thing is that Ellie had told her she thought he might be sacked when they heard he'd been summoned by Lord Grantham.

And clearly, he hasn't been, but Ellie's a sweet girl, naive, never told a lie or got in on a rumour in her life, Anna's certain. If she shared the thought, she must have had a good reason.

He falls in step with her on her way to the kitchen; they carry teapots out to the table in silence.

When Gabriel — who's been looking uncharacteristically gleeful for the last few days, and she doesn't care to know why — leaves the hall, though, he turns to her and says, "have they got company upstairs I've not heard about?"

"If they do, I've been told as much about it as you have," she says, as she straightens out the place setting for Mr. Carson.

"No, then – odd, thought there might be."

"What makes you say so?"

"Must've been imagining things," he says, and then he turns on his heels and is out in a blink.

Scheming as usual, she decides, though she's got no idea what for.

Until halfway through breakfast, when he says, "say, Arthur, what were you doing with Ellie upstairs this morning?"

Ellie drops her spoon; Arthur coughs on his porridge.

"In one of the guest rooms, think it was," Thomas adds, when no one says anything. He looks nonchalant, but there's a glint in his eye. Anna's guess is that he's jumping for joy on the inside. "Must've been half six, maybe a bit earlier — you sent me up for those whiskey glasses about then, right, Mr. Carson?"

Now that she thinks on it, neither of them were where they were meant to be earlier, but she'd not put two and two together. Ellie daydreams; Arthur's always behind schedule. Nothing very out of the ordinary about either of them being off task.

Or so she's thought.

"I… yes, that I did, Thomas." 

He's fuming, clearly; Mrs. Hughes comes to his rescue.

"I don't suppose you sent Arthur as well."

"Indeed I did not, Mrs. Hughes."

"Well," she says, "we'll sort this out after breakfast, won't we, Mr. Carson?"

If looks could kill, Thomas would be six feet under.

Hours later, just before she's meant to undress the young ladies for bed, Anna goes out back to fetch coal, where she finds rather more than she bargained for: Arthur's got Thomas pinned to the shed by his collar, and it's a far cry from the friendly roughhousing all the boys downstairs tend to get into.

She ducks back around the porch wall, but she doesn't go back inside, doesn't go for help. Whether she's more worried or curious she's not sure, but she eavesdrops anyway. If things get too frightening, she can scream blue murder and have them found out.

"You _swore_ you wouldn't – "

"Yeah? So did you, you bastard, lucky Lord Grantham likes me – "

"I bloody trusted you – "

"Learned your lesson, then, what a good boy you are – "

"It were you should've been sacked, not me – "

"Maybe that'll teach you not to kiss and te – "

There's a terrible sound interrupts him; Anna can't stop herself from peeking. 

Thomas is doubled over with his hand on his face.

She knows she should cry out, but her heart is pounding and her mouth is dry and her feet seem stuck in one spot.

"You're filthy, Thomas Barrow, you know that, ain't no one ever going to catch _you_ with a girl – "

"Changed your tune, haven't you," spits Thomas, and this time she sees the punch happen.

Frightened, Anna comes back to herself and runs inside to fetch someone, but just as she makes it to Mrs. Hughes' room, the back door opens behind her.

They must've heard the noise. No use going for help now, she knows they'd only deny it, but she tells herself she'll give the whole story to Mrs. Hughes in the morning. Privately.

The next day, there are two empty chairs at the breakfast table. Though Thomas has a horrid bruise on his cheek, she's never seen him look so pleased with himself in all the time he's been at Downton.

She decides not to share what she overheard, even if only because there's a bee in her bonnet about how Ellie had her fooled and she's got him to thank for her realising. After all, Arthur's gone for good, and Thomas has probably suffered enough.


End file.
